Jataka Tales 3: Serivanija

Serivanija Jataka The Buddha was at Savatthi when this matter concerning a monk who gave up persevering was brought before Him. This monk had been seen practicing hard as a novice. He had then gone to the forest to practice by himself during the rainy season. Unable to get a glimpse of insight, he had returned to Jetevana.

The Buddha said to him: “You, monk, after devoting yourself to this glorious Teaching which teaches the Path and Fruit, are now giving up persevering. You will suffer long like the hawker of Seri who lost a golden bowl worth a hundred thousand pieces.”

The Bhikkhus who were there, asked the Buddha to tell them more about this. So he made clear a story concealed from them by rebirth.

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Story from the past A very long time ago in the kingdom of Seri, the Bodhisatta (The Aspirant Buddha) was a trader in pots, pans and other sundry items. There was another trader, who sold similar goods. This person was greedy and wicked, and was also known as Serivanjia. The gentle merchant was called Kacchaputa. One day, both of them crossed the river Nilavahini and entered the city of Andhapura.

At this time, there was a family down on their luck. It consisted of two people, a girl and her grandmother, earning their living by working for hire. In the house there was a golden bowl. In the old days, the head of the family, a very rich merchant, used to eat from it. But the two of them did not know it was gold as it was covered with grime, having lain for so long unused among their old pots and pans. The greedy hawker came to the door of this house.

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This young girl seeing him said to her grandmother: “Buy me a trinket, grandmother.”

The old women replied: “We’re very poor, dear; what can we offer in exchange for it?” She picked up the grimy golden bowl and said: “Here’s this bowl which we never use. Let us exchange that for it.”

The greedy merchant was asked to enter their house and the bowl was brought to him to fulfill the young girl’s request. He, at once recognized it as a golden bowl. He thought he could get it for nothing, so he said to them that it was not worth any money, There upon he threw it on the ground and left the house.

When the first merchant had gone, Kacchaputa entered the street and started selling his goods.

Seeing him passing the house once again, the young girl made her request and the old women replied that the first hawker had flung their bowl to the ground and left.

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Now they had nothing to offer for the trinket. The young women said to her grandmother that the first hawker spoke harshly to them, but this one looked like a good man for his voice sounded kind. So she thought this hawker would fulfill her request. With nothing more to lose, they invited the Bodhisatta into the house. They showed their bowl to him. He discovered that it was solid gold and told them it was worth a hundred thousand pieces. He said that he did not have that much money with him to buy it.

They told him what the first hawker had said about it and how he had behaved. They even said that the power of his goodness had returned it into gold. They decided to give it to him in exchange for whatever things he would give for it. He had five hundred pieces of money and goods of the same amount. He gave all this to them in exchange and they agreed that he would keep eight pieces of cash, his scale and his bag.

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The Bodhisatta knew that if the other hawker were to return to get the bowl, he would not be satisfied after finding out what had happened.

So he left immediately for the river bank. He gave the eight pieces of money to the boatman to take him across. Soon the greedy hawker returned thinking he would give the women something or other for the bowl. It was too late.

The older women scold him for his greed and told him a kind and honest hawker had said it was worth a hundred thousand pieces. They had given it to him.

When he heard this he could no longer control himself. He became demented by the loss of the bowl, which he felt ought to be his. He flung his goods, money and clothes at the door of the house and arming himself with the beam of his scales, he went to look for the Bodhisatta.

Finally, he arrived at the river bank. Seeing him in the boat crossing the river, he shouted to the boatman to turn back, but the Bodhisatta persuaded him not to do so.

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The greedy trader became more enraged and looked like a madman as he stood there staring at the boat getting farther and farther away from him. Suddenly, his heart grew hot and blood gushed from his mouth. Through the grudge and hatred he had contracted against the Bodhisatta, then and there he died.

End of story of the past When the Buddha ended the story and lesson, He said: “If you fail to achieve what has to be done this moment, you will regret it like the bad trader.”

After the closure of his discourse, the faint-hearted monk was established in the highest Fruit of Arahatship.

“In those days, Devadatta was the foolish hawker; I myself was the wise and good hawker.” the Buddha said.

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